Not Quite Nigella

Castagnaccio – Italian Chestnut Cake

I hope Vegan readers will not take offence but Vegan cakes and stylish Italian fare don’t appear synonymous. Veganism, at least to my thinking, is often associated with some sort of sacrifice (although Vegans would probably deny this) but for my palate it means the sacrificing of a lot of my favourite foods. I do have Vegan relatives and friends and it can be hard when trying to think of a cake that will satisfy their requirements but is also palatable and isn’t so hard that it can be used a weapon (although I have to say I’ve seen a few great looking Vegan chocolate cakes on blogs). This cake surprisingly answers that call and it’s also good if you happen to have a roundtable of people with food allergies and intolerances as chestnut flour does not contain any gluten.

I stumbled across this idea when trying to figure out what to do with my remaining chestnut flour. I had just over 400grams of it and this was just calling out to me given that it required 400grams of flour. I read and re-read various recipes. There were no eggs, not much butter or oil and barely any sugar. Was this correct? I thought I’d have some faith in it and just try it anyway. It was also alarmingly easy to make. Just a bit of sifting and mixing and half an hour in the oven.

I did warn readers that as we are moving and we’re trying to eat as much as we can out of the cupboards to avoid moving it all, that there might be some strange recipes coming up. This is an example of running out of sultanas and replacing them with cherries which I thought tasted delicious. And not a prawn head in sight.

The cake itself is a lovely texture although it’s not light and fluffy. It’s flat in appearance and thicker in texture, sticks to the tongue and palate and tastes almost like a lightly sweetened chestnut puree. As it’s supposed to be thin (about 1cm) and not rise I found that the recipe below made enough for two heart shaped cakes so feel free to halve the recipe below if you have a smaller tin. I toasted some fresh chestnuts and added them on top. Responses to this cake were mixed. Some people just didn’t get it while chestnut lovers did. I wouldn’t say that this is the most popular cake I’ve made and it may not appeal to everyone but I liked the nuttiness and creaminess of the chestnuts. It looks rather alarming at first – people have described it as looking like a cracked sidewalk but have faith. I did and was duly rewarded.

So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever toyed with or have become a vegetarian or vegan?

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August 10th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

To Market, To Market, August 2009

I decided to create a regular “To Market To Market” story to show the items that I have been sent over the past few weeks that I liked. Now getting goodies in the mail is always fun and taste testing them with my friends and family is even more fun. But what fun is it if I can’t share it with all my lovely readers? So the lovely people at these companies also agreed to send out a pack of these items to some lucky Not Quite Nigella readers so that you too can sample their goodies instead of just reading about them!

Just leave a comment at the end of the story telling me which product you’d like to try and why. I’m very sorry overseas lovelies but these can only be posted within Australia. I shall select winners on the 14th of August

***Entries are now closed, the winners are:***

Andy L. for Relish This

Kartini S. for Green & Black’s

Min Ai T. & Stephanie R. for Vogels

Howard R. for Carman’s

Raechell G. for Gelatissimo

Melissa H. for Sunrice

Relish This

You probably know of my jam making obsession however I’ve never made relishes, always buying them instead. The story behind Relish This is one that especially interested me as Sarah, the woman who started it, did so as she was sick of corporate life. I could completely relate to that! I was sent three flavours: a Balsamic Red Onion & Lime; a Beetroot, Apple & Orange and a Red Capsicum Chili and they were very happily sampled with the Balsamic Red Onion and piquant Lime being the group’s favourite. The Beetroot, Apple & Orange had spicy aromatics and sweetness with little bursts of currants lending it an almost Indian feel and the Red Capsicum Chili relish was a favourite of Rose who likes foods spicy. It says very mildy spiced but I’d say there was a definite kick to it!

Thanks to Relish This, one lucky Not Quite Nigella reader will receive a sampler pack of Relish worth $40!

Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate

Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate has been available for a while here and I recall a near stampede when they were giving away little bars at the Good Food and Wine Show. My first package of this went missing and I can only guess that there’s a very, very happy neighbour or postman of mine who received it instead. I was sent bars of the Butterscotch, Dark 70%, Milk and Maya Gold with orange and spice. I had on hand my eager tasters who were all too happy to help sample the chocolates. The unanimous favourite flavour was the Butterscotch which had small shards of Butterscotch scattered throughout the chocolate. Mr NQN also loved the dark 70% which was surprisingly smooth for a chocolate of that high cocoa content. Yes we were some very happy piglets that day…

Thanks to Green & Black’s, one lucky Not Quite Nigella reader will receive a sample pack of chocolate!

Vogels Cereal

Like Jerry Seinfeld, I love cereal but I also like to eat it late at night when I need a bit of a sugar rush and crunch but I usually make my own if I have time. However July was a crazy month and just as my batch of home made granola finished, a package arrived. The courier probably had no idea why I was so happy but I was relieved that I could tick “Make Granola” off my to-do list as the package contained some Vogel’s cereal. I tried the Fruit and Nut variety and loved the cinnamon flavour in it and the fruit which was a nice change from most healthy boxed cereals that I find taste marginally better than cardboard. Normally nutty, delicious and healthy are mutually exclusive concepts for a lot of cereals. As for the other flavour, I’m afraid that’s packed up in a box and it’s somewhere in our new apartment. I’ll christen that box when we move in.

Thanks to Vogel’s, two lucky Not Quite Nigella readers will receive 1 pack of the Fruit & Nut and 1 pack of the Ultra Bran Soy & Linseed cereals!

Carmans Muesli Bites

I wasn’t sure if Carman’s would send me any more goodies as I had mentioned that I didn’t really go for their rounds very much preferring their regular muesli bars (sorry I was being honest!) but they did and I got a box of the Low G.I. Apricot and Almond and the Fruit bites. These similar to their regular muesli bars and were great and a lifesaver while we were moving as they kept my stomach from growling and I really liked the cinnamon flavour in both types and as a result, they were polished off in no time.

Thanks to Carman’s, one lucky Not Quite Nigella reader will receive a box of the Apricot & Almond Bites and the Fruit Bites!

From left: Limoncello, Brownie, Lychee & Coconut and Creme Brulee

Gelatissimo Flavours of the World

Being sent ice cream in the mail is even more exciting than you would think even in this chilly weather and so after dinner one night, The Second Wife, Gravy Beard, Naomi, Mr NQN and I all retired to do a quick ice cream tasting. I was sent a take home pack of Gelatissimo’s “Flavours of the World” range which included Chinese Lychee & Coconut, American Fudge Brownie, French Crème Brulee and Italian Limoncello. The Lychee & Coconut was the definite crowd pleaser as it was subtly but definitely flavoured with both flavours and tasted very much like eating fresh lychees with coconut. The Creme Brulee was another favourite with the unmistakable toffee flavour laced through it which left us pondering “How do they get the brulee taste in it?”. The Brownie was sweet and had a huge chunk of brownie in it which Gravy Beard happily appropriated. The Limoncello had many divided with some finding it too tangy to some loving its lemon tanginess (me). The Flavours of the World range is available for a limited time only and you can check out their other flavours (there are 12 in total).

Thanks to Gelatissimo, one lucky Not Quite Nigella reader will receive a voucher for a take home pack of ice cream from your nearest Gelatissimo store! Voucher cannot be redeemed in Perth or Tasmania.

Sunrice

I was sent a huge range of rice from Sunrice including chicken rice, Mexican rice, egg fried rice, brown rice, brown rice variations, chinese style fried rice, jasmine rice, coconut rice and wild rice with mushroom. My favourite was the chicken rice (although I know your next question, this isn’t like Hainanese chicken rice) but would have preferred it without the corn pieces and the coconut rice was great with a curry. I have always been a fan of the brown rice packets and usually have a stock of at least 1 or 2 in the cupboard as they’re very convenient and I’m saving the Wild Rice for a special meal. And for someone like me that’s living out of a suitcase at the moment, they’re fantastically easy and the grains are never soggy or stuck together.

Thanks to Sunrice, one lucky Not Quite Nigella reader will receive a sample box of Sunrice rice!

So readers, leave a comment as to which item you’d like to try and why and you could be receiving it in the mail! Thanks again to these generous brands Relish This, Green & Black’s, Vogel’s, Carman’s, Gelatissimo and SunRice for providing prizes.

Best of luck and enjoy!

Lots of love,

NQN

xxx

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August 9th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

Cucumber & Smashed Garlic

With our almost Spring like weather during the day, I’ve been slowly introducing more Summery foods into the diet in the hopes that the weather should stick around. At our visit to Spice Temple several months ago, Christie recommended me a recipe for Neil Perry’s Cucumber with smashed garlic. I’d meant to make these for months and it wasn’t until I made another batch of the cucumber pickles that I was reminded of these. They’re easy and fantastically healthy and the perfect cooling side dish or precursor to a Chinese meal.

She pointed me to the Gourmet Traveller website where they featured a few of Perry’s recipes and the best pasrt? The time taken to make these is negligible and most of it is in waiting for it to drain. I loved the cleansing sensation of cucumber and the garlic lends a richer tone to it. It was gobbled up in no time by Mr NQN. I had intended to keep some in a jar to pick at for a healthy snack but he liked it so much that late one night I opened the fridge to snack on some to find the empty container in the fridge. Yes he had stuck the empty container back in the fridge. Luckily for him it was his birthday so I couldn’t get mad at him and he probably knew it.

So tell me Dear Reader, what’s your flatmate’s/husband’s/wife’s worst habit?

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August 8th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

At Perry Lane, Paddington (The Secret Weekend Cafe!)

**This cafe is now closed**

“Morning Lorraine! Have you been to …at Perry Lane in Paddington? I grabbed coffee there on Sat & it was packed-wld love to hear your take!” said the lovely MsUnreliable from That Unreliable Girl in her twitter message to me. Upon further reading I find out that it’s bit of a local’s secret cafe in a little laneway cafe that’s only open as a cafe on Fridays and weekends so I immediately put it in the black Moleskine. One Sunday I had a meeting with a girl called Piglet and At Perry Lane it was. And little did I know that there would be Tarot reading involved…

Approaching it, it is indeed a hidden away cafe at the back of the Oxford Shop on Oxford Street in Paddington. It’s a multi level space with the kitchen set lower and chairs and tables set on three levels. I sneak upstairs as it’s busy and nab an empty table. I look down and a few minutes later there’s a smiling face looking up at me which I later learn to be the owner Chris. At Perry Lane is run by Chris, his mum and his partner all doing the cooking, coffee and waitering duties and on weekdays the space is hired out for fashion shows, events and commericals as well as Tarot and Jewellery reading. But more on that later!

He shows me the menu and explains that it’s a reduced size menu today as the chef is away and normally there are more complex choices but I am relieved to see that there is an all day breakfast available (you’ve got to love those fellow late risers in Paddington). Prices are reasonable with the most expensive item hitting the $16.50 mark with most around the $13-$14 mark. Teas are by T2 and coffee is by Campos and there’s a selection of several types of breads from a kalamata olive roll to a rye sourdough as well as gluten free bread (although they are out today). Piglet chooses the Proscuitto, two poached eggs and asparagus on kalamata olive bread and I choose the French Toast with bacon, banana and maple syrup.

Cappucino $3.50

The coffee is that uber rich and heady blend that Sydney siders clamour for. I’d love a little more foam on my cappucino but the coffee is fantastic-rich and with that unmistakable Campos flavour.

French Toast with Bacon, Banana and maple syrup $12.50

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August 7th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella

Beef & Beer Stew with Cheese Dumplings (aka The Marriage Maker)

It doesn’t take much to figure out men. One thing I know is that for the most part, straight men a) like Beer b) like big, filling meals and c) if they ever were to become clothing designers, hem lines would be permanently raised and tops low cut.

I call this stew the Marriage Maker and its existence preceded Masterchef although it was the beer and meat cooking Chris that reminded me of how good it was. It’s also easy enough, tastes delicious and filling but unfortunately is not the most photogenic of foods. Call it the antithesis of a picture perfect and dainty High Tea (and a straight man’s worst nightmare).

I was lucky enough to receive a carton of beer from the Blue Tongue Brewery. In it I received four six packs of beer: a Premium Lager, a Lite Beer, a Pilsener and curiously, an alcoholic Ginger Beer. I was delighted to see such a generous package but my reaction wasn’t anywhere near as excited as my husband. Yes, when men come home tired and a tad grumpy, showing them a carton of this beer will make them very, very happy. Although that’s pretty logical really.

If I had to describe it as something, I’d say the stew resembles a meat pie filling. Not your cheap and nasty pies with mince and gristle and random bits of human finger but a gourmet pie with chunky, succulently tender pieces of beer with a richness from the beer. You can certainly taste that it’s there although it isn’t as strong as say a Beef Bourguignon.

I know calling it a Marriage Maker is risky. After all I cannot offer anything to substantiate these claims. And it’s true I’m no expert on marriage being married for only 3 years. I have been proposed to more than once and most of the proposals were after I had fed someone (oh the bruised ego that it wasn’t for my brains, looks or charm). Perhaps it’s a culinary version of Beer Goggles.